What They Don't See
by KissPookie28
Summary: Something's weird with the Tree Hill gang and it worries Nathan. Very short. I suck at summaries, sorry.


**I hit a writer's block for my other stories, so I did like any good writer does and started a new story. This idea just came to me and I ran with it. It's very short, but I think it's at least halfway decent. Enjoy!**

Nathan walked out of the hospital room and laughed at the ridiculousness of what the nurse had just told him. He pulled a flower from a bunch nearby and walked home to give it to his wife.

"Honey, I'm home!" Nathan called into the apartment. He heard nothing for a moment and began to panic. Then he noticed the door to his son's room was ajar. Smiling to himself, he walked into the room and saw Haley leaning over James's crib. Hearing him coming in, she turned and smiled.

"Hey." Nathan smiled back and kissed her cheek.

"I brought this for you." He presented the flower.

"Just set it on the table over there." Nathan did as he was told.

"So how is our little champ?" Nathan tickled his son.

"Perfect." Haley watched her husband and son together for a moment then the phone rang.

"Are you going to get that?" Nathan asked because Haley was closest to the phone. Her only response was a smile. Nathan shook his head and then picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Nathan." It was Peyton. "I just called to ask if you were all right."

"I'm great," Nathan said a little confused.

"Nathan, it's ok if you're not. You can tell me." Peyton's voice was a bit stuffed up like she had been crying.

"I'm fine Peyton, and now I have to go. I've got basketball practice."

"You're going to basketball practice?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"It's just that…but I guess if that's how you want to…Who's staying with James?"

"Haley of course." Peyton sighed.

"I'll be right over. Don't leave until I get there."

The ball swished through the net. Nathan pumped his fist in triumph, but none of his team mates seemed to share in his happiness. They all looked at him with concerned looks on their faces. "At this rate, we're going to kill in our game tomorrow." Nathan raised his hand for him teammate to high five but it was not returned.

"Nathan, we forfeited the game for tomorrow."

"What?" Nathan began to get angry. "Why the hell would you do that?"

A small lanky boy spoke up. "Well we have to go to the fu…"

"Oh so you have more important plans? I thought basketball meant more to you guys!" With as much strength as he could muster, Nathan threw the ball at the boy's chest and stormed off the court. As he threw the door open to leave the gym, he ran into Lucas, his eyes were rimmed red like he had been crying.

"There you are Nathan. What the hell are you doing here? You should be at home with your son."

"I want to win the game tomorrow, but the idiots in there forfeited."

"No, I forfeited for the team. You're acting like you don't even care man."

"No, it's all you who don't care." Pulling his gym bag higher up on his shoulder, he ran from the gym back to his apartment.

Quietly, he opened the door to his apartment. Voices floated to him from the bedroom.

"I just think it's a little insensitive," Brooke said.

"People cope in their own ways," Peyton replied. "Though I do worry about what's going to happen to little James here." Nathan chose this moment to walk into the room. He looked around and saw Peyton holding his son as she sat on the floor across from Brooke. Haley stood, leaning against a wall behind them. As he entered, all three girls looked up at him and his son gurgled a 'Da!'. Nathan smiled first at his son and then at his wife. Peyton and Brooke turned to where Haley stood and then turned back to him, confused expressions plastered over his face.

"Nathan, how are you?" Brooke stood up and put her arms around him.

"I'm fine, why do people keep asking me that?"

"Nathan." Something in Brooke's tone seemed condescending. Nathan pulled back from her and looked at his wife.

"We need to talk Nathan," Haley said to him as she strode across the room.

"About what?" Nathan didn't like her tone either.

"What?" Brooke turned to him, but Nathan waved a hand to shut her up. He wanted to hear what Haley had to say. Haley didn't say anything, but instead took his hand.

"You're scaring me," Nathan told her.

"Me?" Brooke asked. Nathan shook his head at how narcissistic she could be sometimes. Not everything was about her. Haley smiled and wrapped her arms around Nathan.

"We have the most perfect son in the world. I love him so much." Haley turned to look at James sitting on Peyton's lap.

"James is perfect, just like his mother," Nathan told her with a smile. Both Peyton and Brooke began to tear up.

"Yeah, he is," Peyton told Nathan.

"I love you, Nathan." Haley kissed his cheek.

"I love you too," he replied. Brooke wiped her tears away. Peyton sniffled and looked to Nathan.

"Who are you talking to Nathan?" Peyton asked him.

"But it's time to let me go," Haley continued. "Take care of our son." She kissed him on the cheek again as Nathan looked at James.

"Who are you talking to Nathan?" Peyton repeated.

"Haley." Nathan turned to where Haley had stood but she was gone. He looked around the room but she was no where to be seen.

"Nathan, Haley's dead," Peyton whispered. Nathan shook his head as memories flooded back to him. Haley wanted to walk down to the grocery store to get some milk. Nathan had said he would drive her, but she insisted on having him stay with James. An hour had passed and Haley still wasn't home. At two hours, Nathan began to get worried. That's when he got the call. The call that changed his life for the worse. Haley had been hit by a car. Nathan rushed down to the hospital, even forgetting to leave a babysitter with James. His only thoughts had been about Haley. He remembered walking into the room and seeing Haley hooked up to all the machines. His wife's entire body was covered with bruises and scratches but she still looked beautiful. He wanted to stay with her but the doctor's were trying to save her so they kicked him out. Twenty minutes later, the doctor's walked out and a nurse called him in. He clung to Haley's hand as the nurse told him that there was nothing they could do. Haley was dead.

"We made all the arrangements," Brooke explained. "The funeral's tomorrow. Your whole team is coming."

"Mama?" James called out pitifully. Brooke and Peyton inhaled simultaneously and they both began to blubber. Nathan turned to his son. His son that would never get to see his mother again. Nathan picked James up as a single tear slid down his cheek. James was the only thing Nathan had left of Haley. As he pulled James to his chest, he succumbed to the tears.


End file.
